Sometimes when it rains....

It pours.
And this last week it has definitely poured.
School started last week and Owen turned three, and we went on a little weekend getaway, and if that doesn't make for a busy week, add some runny noses and random fevers and a trip to the doctor and a few cases of ringworm. And really, if that isn't enough already, add 100 baked potatoes your husband needs for a dinner but forgets to tell you about until he's walking out the door to work the morning of the dinner (love you hun), and, just for kicks, add a deer running headlong into the front fender of your van causing the driver's side door to not open which results in needing to do some nifty contortionist moves in order to exit through another door in addition to unloading 5 littles every time you go anywhere.....and you are sure to have a week that can only be described as awesome. Awesomely what? I am not sure.

Here are the highlights (minus close-ups of the ringworm, potatoes, and fender-bender)....

We celebrated three years with our little boy last Thursday. (His real b-day was Wednesday, but we didn't tell him because that day just wasn't working with everyone's schedules.)....Anyway, it's hard to believe it's been that long since we brought our sweet "little" (8lb13oz) baby boy home and opened a whole new chapter of our lives....one that started with lots of snuggles and kisses, he was truly the best baby ever. He loved everyone and would grab you by the hair on either side of your head and plant juicy open-mouth kisses on you and turn your heart to mush (That is, if open mouth baby kisses are your "thing." I happen to have a soft spot for them;).....and then he became a toddler.....and, oh boy, it's a good thing we had already fallen head over heels in love with his little roley poley self because he had it in for us with adventures and messes and mishaps galore. There is rarely a dull moment when he's around and just when we think he might drive us to the brink of crazy, he'll let his soft side shine for a moment and we will remember why we love him.

Owen, blowing out the candles on his birthday brownies.
Let me tell you a little side-story about cakes and birthdays at our house…..I’ve made a lot of cakes in my days as a mom, lots and lots. Practice didn’t make perfect in my case, so none of them were very cute. I have patience for a lot of things, but cake decorating isn’t one of them. (although I do love seeing the masterpieces other moms can whip out)…..The thing about cakes at our house is, no one really liked them, and no one really ate them, but I kept on making them out of sheer obligation (although I haven’t made one for Grace in years because she always requests pies)....So anyway, last December on Emma's birthday, after she had blown out the candles and I started cutting cake, all three girls asked me, "Do we have to have cake? Can we just have ice cream?"
I, of course, told them they most certainly did not have to have cake and right then and there after ten years and countless cakes, I relieved myself of the birthday cake baking and decorating obligation and we now have brownies or pies or, if we are lucky and a birthday falls when we can get to Dairy Queen we do everyone's favorite....a blizzard cake.

Ok....back to last week. We loaded up the littles and headed for Rapid City on Friday. Anytime you attempt a road trip with 5 kids in a packed van your sanity will likely be tested, in the end though, the memories and smiles outweigh the frustration incurred from the overly frequent potty stops and backseat bickering.

First stop was Storybook Island because we are suckers for places with free admission. I didn't take very many pics there because no one was cooperating, for some reason everyone just wanted to play and no one had time to look in my direction long enough for me to snap a few pics.

Ava rode in the stroller for approximately the first 3 minutes, and then we carried her and pushed the empty double stroller. Spoiled much?

Owen, handing his ticket for the barrel train ride to the conductor.

By the time we visit Storybook Island again, Grace might decide she is too old for barrel train rides, but I hope not.......Notice the boy sitting behind Grace?....yeah, as soon as the train started up, he began screaming bloody murder and didn't stop the whole ride. I couldn't figure out why they wouldn't stop and let the poor kid off, he was obviously terrified.

Emma is the only child in my five that will strike a pose and actually ask me to take her picture. Love her.

Hot guy with a cute baby.

After Storybook Island, we did Old Mc Donald's farm, but my kids were no more cooperative for picture taking there, so I resigned myself to taking pictures if random, equally adorable kids on yet another barrel train....

I kid, they weren't random, these two cuties are actually our niece, Megan, and nephew, Kellan.

Owen will rarely look at me if he knows I'm holding my camera.

Lily is more cooperative.

Feeding the goats. Owen loved this part, but these goats were so crazy. If you don't believe me, check out those crazy goat eyes below. They acted like they hadn't eaten in days. One of them kept chewing on my pantleg and even chomped on my calf a few times.

Pony Rides

The girls appeared to be in deep contemplation during their rides, I couldn't help but wonder what was going through their minds.

This post is getting really long and there are still a lot of pictures from our trip to go through, so I'm taking a break for now, but I'll be back with pictures from the waterpark, our wildlife encounters and our little Sturgis rally.